Hi, I'm in the UK too and have given up on the medical profession helping me. My doctor said she'd never heard of mercury poisoning from fillings and I got no where from calling up the BDHF, except that I needed bloodtests which a dentist should arrange for me. I went to see a mercury free dentist who was very horrible and didn't believe mercury was the cause of my problems.

There are dentists who will replace amalgam using precautions for you, though, without the tests! There's David Harvie Austin in London who uses diamondlite and there's David Cowan (http://www.kingsburyholisticdentist.co.uk/holistic.htm)
who is also in London. There are others who look at mercury toxicity, but these are the only two I found using diamondlite and all precautions.

Dr Austin can refer patients to a specialist who deals with mercury toxicity and will go through all your symptoms with you. I'm not sure where he is at the moment. He was at Q clinic in London, but recently has moved. They should be able to give you his new address. Their phone number is:(020)73171111. I highlt recommend him.

I haven't bothered with the mercury sensitivity/allergic tests because I've already decided to get the fillings replaced. But I do believe that to get treatment on the NHS you will need them to confirm you have too much mercury or sensitivity. I am having my done privately so I don't need the NHS to prove I am mercury toxic.

I went to London and I got referred for a biocompatibilty test to biolab (cost £50) to check that I am compatible with diamondlite. Happily the test showed I am so I can now go on and have the replacements.

In the meantime I am taking alginate, vitamin e, zinc, magnesium and vitamin c with bioflavinoids every day and I have noticed an improvement. I used to wake with pins and needles almost every night, but since taking these, I've only had that twice in the last three weeks. I'm also only drinking bottled water, cut out caffeine (except the odd cup of coffee and coke now and then) and tried to reduce sulpher foods.

I have a root canal tooth which needs extracting and I tried to get an OPG x-ray today, but I got another endless ring arounds. I can't have one done privately unless I am referred by a dentist and then I have to pay £85 and the xray go to them. It's ridiculous I can't get an x-ray to take home with me! I am pretty mad about this! I understand the radiation issue, but as people can smoke and drink themselves to death and radiate themselves with mobile phones, it seems ridiculous that it's illegal to have an x-ray done on request. At the very least they should have someone in the hospitals who you can go to for consent!

I wanted to sue the BDA for putting a toxin in my body as a child without informed consent of my mother, but I couldn't get a "no win no fee" lawyer to take me on. I asked our local psychology department at university if they would be interested in doing a case-study on me for the impact of amalgam on health - they never even acknowledged my letter.

I have written to Tony Blair about this, and I can say with all honesty that I will never again vote for a Labour government. They have been in power now for 8 years and they still pass off mercury as safe and don't help those who are poisoned by it.

Anyway, there are dentists in the UK who take mercury toxicity seriously, like the two above I mentioned, but you may have to travel and pay privately. They both, to my knowledge, use oxygen to minimise exposure and other safety precautions. Getting the fillings replaced by a regular dentist who doesn't use these things could make you much worse.

Let us know what you decide to do. Going privately I think is the answer. There are others in the UK who can help, depending on where you live and what replacement material you want. I wanted diamondlite, so I was kind of limited, but there's Moonfleet in Dorset who is very interested in mercury toxicity (www.moonfleet.co.uk) and very friendly people.